Letters to the Editor
View(s):Look into the chaotic passport system at the Dept. of Immigration
My passport which was valid for 10 years had only a few months more of validity, so I applied for a new passport. After waiting about three weeks and not receiving it, I tried calling the Department to find out what was happening, but every single number I called was either busy or not being answered.
I then waited a further two+ weeks making it over five weeks since applying and I had still not received my passport or my original birth certificate, which they kept back. So, in a state of panic for fear of them losing my birth certificate I tried calling again. I repeatedly called all the numbers given for the Controller, the Deputy Controller and various other officials and departments but not a single number was being answered even though they were ringing forever.
I then went to the Dept. of Immigration to find out what was going on. I went to meet the Controller but he suddenly left his room and was nowhere to be found so I went to meet the Deputy Controller and he said yes it usually takes 2 to 3 weeks to get a passport issued but had nothing much to say when I told him that it had been over five weeks since my application was handed over.
As I was making a fuss and insisting on receiving my passport immediately and my birth certificate which is more important than the passport, somebody was hurriedly instructed to quickly see to my application and have my passport ready that very day. I was then asked to come back after two hours to collect it. So, actually, they don’t need 5+ weeks to prepare a passport! They can do it in a day even for the “normal service”!
Five days after I collected my passport I received an SMS informing me as follows: “Your Application xxxxxxx is completed and posted.” I was wondering who has posted what to me, when my passport was collected five days before! So you can only imagine what a state of confusion exists in that Dept. for them not to even know that this passport was issued? What have they posted?
I was informed by a reliable source that the staff at the Passport Office have been told not to attend to the normal service applications for at least three weeks because they want to promote the same-day service which costs more than three times the price (“apita kiyala thiyenne, sumaana thunaktavath atha thiyannavath epa kiyala, mokada rupiyal 10,000 ek dina service eka promote karanna oney nisa.)”
So, in reality the department can actually process passports within the same day or even within two or three days at the most but they hold on to those same-day applications on purpose hoping that it will encourage more people to apply for the same day service at Rs. 10,000 instead of the normal service which costs Rs. 3,000.
Ps: The toilets at the Immigration Dept. are worse than public lavatories. I almost vomited as I entered them.
Disgusted individual
A memorable meeting with Ronnie Leitch
About two years ago I had gone to the Nedimala (Dehiwala) Post Office (a very small room, where a young lady was the Post Mistress), to post a letter. There were about four or five people there. Then a vehicle arrived and Mr. Ronnie Leitch stepped out. He had to buy a stamp to post his letter. All the money he pulled out of his pockets were very high value notes! He had no coins! I smiled with him and offered to buy his ten rupee stamp.
“I saw you on TV singing a C.T. Fernando song. Nedimala is C.T.’s home town,” I told him. He smiled. “Can you sing that song now?” I dared to request. He chuckled a bit and then straightaway started to sing. When he finished, there were about twenty people gathered – and we all (including the P.M.) clapped in appreciation. He got into his vehicle – waved at us and drove away.
Although quite famous, what a simple and friendly man he was.
Kalyana de Silva Dehiwala
Ticket reservation facility needed at the Chunnakam Railway station
A retired Government Servant, aged 70 years, living at Chunnakam, I normally use the three wheeler for short journeys because of my physical condition and on advice by my doctor. Recently I went to the Chunnakam railway station by three wheeler to reserve two seats to go to Colombo by the intercity train.
The Station Master however told me that there is no seat booking facility, and said I would have to go either to Jaffna or Kankesanthurai. He said no phone booking could be made. I would have needed another Rs. 800 for the three wheeler to go to Jaffna or Kankesanthurai.
So I decided to travel to Colombo by bus because there are lots of bus booking places in Chunnakam town. Chunnakam is a significant town and situated more than 400 kms from Colombo.
I cannot understand why the Railway Department has still not opened a reservation counter in this highly residential area.
We appeal to the Transport Minister and General Manager Railways to please consider this public request.
M. Ganeshan Chunnakam